Maksim Gorky. "At the bottom". Social and philosophical drama. The meaning of the title of the work. The meaning of the name “At the bottom. The meaning of the title of the play “At the Lower Depths” by M. Gorky (Gorky Maxim) The meaning of the title of the play at the Lower Depths briefly

15. Maxim Gorky. "At the bottom". Social and philosophical drama. The meaning of the title of the work.

Plan

A) “At the bottom.” Social and philosophical drama

In 1902, the great Russian writer M. Gorky wrote the play “At the Lower Depths”. In it, the author raised a question that remains relevant to this day - this is the question of freedom and the purpose of man. M. Gorky was well acquainted with the life of the lower strata of society, and the sight of suffering and injustice aroused in him a feeling of acute rejection of reality. All his life he was looking for the image of an ideal Man, the image of a Hero. He tried to find answers to his questions in literature, philosophy, history, and in life. Gorky said that he was looking for a hero “where there are usually no people.” In the play “At the Bottom,” the author showed the lifestyle and thinking of precisely those people who are already considered lost, useless for society. The author changed the name of the play many times: “The Bottom”, “Without the Sun”, “Nochlezhka”. They are all joyless and sad. Although there is no other way: the content of the play requires dark colors. In 1901, the writer said about his play: “It will be scary...”

The play is quite ambiguous in its content, but its main meaning cannot be distorted or misunderstood.

In terms of literary genre, the play “At the Bottom” is a drama. Drama is characterized by plot-driven and conflict-ridden action. In my opinion, the work clearly identifies two dramatic principles: social and philosophical.

Even its title, “At the Bottom,” speaks of the presence of social conflict in the play. The stage directions placed at the beginning of the first act create a depressing picture of the shelter. “Cave-like basement. The ceiling is heavy, stone vaults, smoked, with crumbling plaster... There are bunks everywhere along the walls.” The picture is not pleasant - dark, dirty, cold. Next come descriptions of the residents of the shelter, or rather, descriptions of their occupations. What are they doing? Nastya is reading, Bubnov and Kleshch are busy with their work. It seems that they work reluctantly, out of boredom, without enthusiasm. They are all poor, pitiful, wretched creatures living in a dirty hole. There is also another type of people in the play: Kostylev, the owner of the shelter, and his wife Vasilisa. In my opinion, the social conflict in the play lies in the fact that the inhabitants of the shelter feel that they live “at the bottom,” that they are cut off from the world, that they only exist. They all have a cherished goal (for example, the Actor wants to return to the stage), they have their own dream. They are looking for strength within themselves to confront this ugly reality. And for Gorky, the very desire for the best, for the Beautiful, is wonderful.

All these people are put in terrible conditions. They are sick, poorly dressed, and often hungry. When they have money, celebrations are immediately held in the shelter. So they try to drown out the pain within themselves, to forget themselves, not to remember their miserable position as “former people”.

It is interesting how the author describes the activities of his characters at the beginning of the play. Kvashnya continues her argument with Kleshch, the Baron habitually mocks Nastya, Anna moans “every single day...”. Everything continues, all this has been going on for several days now. And people gradually stop noticing each other. By the way, the absence of a narrative beginning is a distinctive feature of drama. If you listen to the statements of these people, what is striking is that they all practically do not react to the comments of others, they all speak at the same time. They are separated under one roof. The inhabitants of the shelter, in my opinion, are tired, tired of the reality that surrounds them. It’s not for nothing that Bubnov says: “But the threads are rotten...”.

In such social conditions in which these people are placed, the essence of man is revealed. Bubnov notes: “No matter how you paint yourself on the outside, everything will be erased.” The residents of the shelter become, as the author believes, “involuntarily philosophers.” Life forces them to think about universal human concepts of conscience, work, truth.

The play most clearly contrasts two philosophies: Luke and Satine. Satin says: “What is truth?.. Man is the truth!.. Truth is the god of a free man!” For the wanderer Luke, such “truth” is unacceptable. He believes that a person should hear what will make him feel better and calmer, and that for the good of a person one can lie. The points of view of other inhabitants are also interesting. For example, Kleshch believes: “...It’s impossible to live... This is the truth!.. Damn it!”

Luka's and Satin's assessments of reality differ sharply. Luka brings a new spirit into the life of the shelter - the spirit of hope. With his appearance, something comes to life - and people begin to talk more often about their dreams and plans. The actor gets excited about the idea of ​​finding a hospital and recovering from alcoholism, Vaska Pepel is going to go to Siberia with Natasha. Luke is always ready to console and give hope. The Wanderer believed that one must come to terms with reality and look at what is happening around him calmly. Luke preaches the opportunity to “adapt” to life, not to notice its true difficulties and one’s own mistakes: “It’s true, it’s not always due to a person’s illness... you can’t always cure a soul with the truth...”

Satin has a completely different philosophy. He is ready to expose the vices of the surrounding reality. In his monologue, Satin says: “Man! It's great! It sounds... proud! Human! We must respect the person! Don’t feel sorry... Don’t humiliate him with pity... you must respect him!” But, in my opinion, you need to respect a person who works. And the inhabitants of the shelter seem to feel that they have no chance of getting out of this poverty. That’s why they are so drawn to affectionate Luka. The Wanderer surprisingly accurately looks for something hidden in the minds of these people and paints these thoughts and hopes into bright, rainbow-colored currents.

Unfortunately, in the conditions in which Satin, Kleshch and other inhabitants of the “bottom” live, such a contrast between illusions and reality has a sad result. The question awakens in people: how and what to live on? And at that moment Luka disappears... He is not ready, and he does not want to. answer this question.

Understanding the truth fascinates the inhabitants of the shelter. Satin is distinguished by the greatest maturity of judgment. Without forgiving “lies out of pity,” Satin for the first time rises to the realization of the need to improve the world.

The incompatibility of illusions and reality turns out to be very painful for these people. The actor ends his life, the Tatar refuses to pray to God... The death of the Actor is the step of a person who failed to realize the real truth.

In the fourth act, the movement of the drama is determined: life awakens in the sleepy soul of the “flopshouse”. People are able to feel, hear each other, and empathize.

Most likely, the clash of views between Satin and Luke cannot be called a conflict. They run parallel. In my opinion, if you combine Satin’s accusatory character and Luke’s pity for the people, you would get the very ideal Man capable of reviving life in the shelter.

But there is no such person - and life in the shelter remains the same. Same in appearance. Some kind of turning point occurs inside - people begin to think more about the meaning and purpose of life.

The play “At the Bottom” as a dramatic work is characterized by conflicts that reflect universal human contradictions: contradictions in views on life, in the way of life.

Drama as a literary genre depicts a person in acute conflict, but not hopeless situations. The conflicts of the play are indeed not hopeless - after all (according to the author’s plan) the active principle, the attitude towards the world, still wins.

M. Gorky, a writer with amazing talent, in the play “At the Bottom” embodied the clash of different views on being and consciousness. Therefore, this play can be called a socio-philosophical drama.

In his works, M. Gorky often revealed not only the everyday life of people, but also the psychological processes occurring in their minds. In the play “At the Bottom,” the writer showed that the proximity of people brought to a life of poverty with a preacher of patiently waiting for a “better man” necessarily leads to a turning point in people’s consciousness. In the night shelters, M. Gorky captured the first, timid awakening of the human soul - the most beautiful thing for a writer.

B) The meaning of the title of the work

The creative concept of the play “At the Lower Depths” dates back to the very beginning of 1900. In the spring of this year in Crimea, Maxim Gorky told K. S. Stanislavsky the content of the planned play. “In the first edition, the main role was that of a footman from a good house, who most of all took care of the collar of his tailcoat shirt - the only thing that connected him with his former life. The shelter was crowded, its inhabitants were arguing, the atmosphere was poisoned with hatred. The second act ended with a sudden police raid of the shelter. At the news of this, the entire anthill began to swarm, hurrying to hide the loot; and in the third act spring came, the sun came, nature came to life, the shelters came out of the stinking atmosphere into the clean air, to do earthworks, they sang songs and under the sun, in the fresh air, they forgot about hating each other.”

In 1902, when pre-revolutionary sentiments appeared in Russia, Maxim Gorky wrote the play “At the Depths,” in which he reflected the “ferment in the minds,” the questions that arose before people during the difficult period of the last years of the reign of the Romanov dynasty.

Gorky wrote about his play: “It was the result of my almost twenty years of observations of the world of “former people,” among whom I include not only wanderers, inhabitants of night shelters and “lumpen proletarians” in general, but also some of the intellectuals, “demagnetized” disappointed, insulted and humiliated by failures in life. I felt and realized very early that these people are incurable.”

At the heart of the play is an acute social conflict: the contradictions between the actual position of a person in society and his high purpose, between the masses and autocratic orders that reduce people to the insignificant fate of vagabonds. The social conflict is complicated philosophically: in the work, true, active, fighting humanism and false, compassionate, inactive humanism collide.

Gorky, in an interview in 1903, spoke about the main question posed in the play: “The main question that I wanted to pose is what is better, truth or compassion? What is more needed? Is it necessary to take compassion to the point of using lies, like Luke?” Depicting the “bottom”, M. Gorky shows society in miniature. The action takes place in the Kostylevs' rooming house - in a "cave-like basement" under "heavy stone arches." Here its inhabitants, formerly “former” tramps, eke out a miserable existence.

The characters in the play have lost their past. they don't have a real one. But sometimes “from the square window on the right side” a ray of light enters their lives, and then hope arises in their thoughts for a future without oppression, with freedom and truth. This faith lives in Tick: “I’ll get out... I’ll rip off my skin, and I’ll get out...” Natasha and Ash dream of another, new life; The prostitute Nastya dreams of pure love. And the rest resigned themselves, submitted to circumstances and realized their uselessness. But, in fact, all people are buried here alive. M. Gorky mercilessly and truthfully draws his heroes, writes about them with pain and anger, and sympathizes with them. The pathetic tragic Actor, who became an alcoholic and forgot even his name, the useless, suffering Anna, who is near death, Bubnov, indifferent to himself and others, the former telegraph operator Satin, smart, but cynical and embittered - they all found themselves in a dead end in life. The heroes strive to rise to the surface from the “bottom” of life, but they feel their complete powerlessness before the gates of this prison, which gives them a feeling of complete hopelessness.

And suddenly Luka appears, who promises everyone what is expected of him: comfort for Anna, a hospital for drunkenness for the Actor, saving Siberia for Ash. Luke spreads lies to support the spirit of unhappy people, to make their unbearable life easier. He feels sorry for the inhabitants of the shelter. But this pity humiliates a person, weakens his strength, reconciles him with the vile reality and does not call him to fight. Luke believes that the truth can be a “butt” for a person. Sometimes it is better to deceive a person with fiction, to instill in him faith in himself, in the future (“man lives for the best”). White lies are the very principle that Luke professes.

The opposite of Luke is Satin. He is brave, smart, and sees the true state of things more deeply than others. He is not yet a fighter, but only a rebel, but behind him is the truth about a terrible and difficult life, faith in the victory of light over darkness, faith in a man with a capital M.

And as long as the Satins exist at the “bottom,” the dream of the future will also live, based on the present and not separated from real life. After all, “man is the truth!” Everything is about the person, everything is for the person! Only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain! Human! It's great! That sounds... proud!” “Lies are the religion of slaves and masters... Truth is the god of a free man!” Such a statement by Satin was perceived as a revolutionary call, as a “signal for an uprising.”

In the play, Satin becomes an exposer of society, which threw him to the “bottom” of life, like thousands of others like him, and forced him to eke out a miserable existence.

The “bottom” for Maxim Gorky is not Kostylev’s flophouse, not a location, or even a social position. “Bottom” is a state of mind, it is a way of life of people killed and maimed by human society with an inhuman structure. In them, good reconciles with evil, love with hatred, truth with lies.

Initially the play was called “Without the Sun”, then “Nochlezhka”, “The Bottom”, “At the Bottom of Life” and, finally, “At the Bottom”. It was the latter option that more broadly reflected the ambiguity of life circumstances, actions and thoughts of people that lead to despair.

In articles and letters, M. Gorky repeatedly gave explanations for his play. “... Satin’s speech about the man of truth is pale,” he wrote to K. P. Pyatnitsky on July 15, 1902. “However, except Satin, there is no one to say it, and he cannot say it better, more clearly. Already this speech sounds alien to his language. But there’s not a damn thing you can do!”

“Freedom at any cost is its spiritual essence,” this is how K. S. Stanislavsky defined the idea of ​​the play, who staged it on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. - “The performance was a stunning success. They endlessly called directors, all the artists and... Gorky himself.”

His work tells us about the night shelter where the heroes of the work gathered and at first the author called his masterpiece “Nochlezhka”. But this name would take us only to a specific place, namely to the place of lodging that Kostylev owned and where the heroes of the play gathered. It was a basement with a heavy ceiling, where there were no normal chairs, and instead of beds there were bunks. A small square window only occasionally let in light. In a word, the name Nochlezhka could not fully convey the meaning of the play. But Gorky wanted the work to be broader and deeper. It revealed more of the essence. The author was thinking about giving another name to his play. For example, the title Without the Sun would have been profound, but it didn't quite fit the theme. Although the heroes had little joy and warmth in their lives, they could see the sunshine.

The meaning of the title of the play At the Bottom

What is the meaning of the title of the play At the Bottom?
When Gorky renamed his work, the meaning of the name began to play with different colors, and we will try to speculate a little about the meaning of the title of the play At the Lower Depths in ours.

Reading Gorky's work, we will get acquainted with the heroes of the shelter - embittered, weak-willed, sick people. From their stories and conversations, we conclude that they have already lost faith in life, have lost meaning and hope in it. These lost people no longer expect anything from life, and they don’t want to change anything in their existence. All this directly suggests that they are already at the very bottom of the social ladder. Heroes cannot live without drunkenness, scandals, and lies. They constantly scold, but still we see that people at the bottom are still capable of talking about truth and freedom. But each of them has its own truth. The title At the Bottom fully reveals the essence of the play. Thanks to the well-chosen name, the author showed that this is not only about a place to spend the night, which looks like a cave and seems as if you are at the very bottom. But I was also able to convey the atmosphere that hovered in this shelter. The moral and ethical ugliness of the people who gathered there. Subsequently, Gorky’s “at the bottom” became symbolic and revealed not only the essence of the play, but also the lifestyle of some people in our society.

The purpose of the lesson: to create a problematic situation and encourage students to express their own point of view on the image of Luke and his life position.

Methodological techniques: discussion, analytical conversation.

Lesson equipment: portrait and photographs of A.M. Gorky from different years.

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During the classes.

1. Analytical conversation.

Let us turn to the extra-event series of the drama and see how the conflict develops here.

How do the inhabitants of the shelter perceive their situation before Luke appears?

(In the exhibition we see people who have, in essence, come to terms with their humiliating position. The night shelters squabble sluggishly, habitually, and the Actor says to Satin: “One day they will completely kill you... to death...” “And you are a fool,” Satin snaps. “Why "- the Actor is surprised. “Because you can’t kill twice.” These words of Satin show his attitude towards the existence that they all lead in the shelter. This is not life, they are all already dead. It seems everything is clear. But the response is interesting Actor: “I don’t understand... why not?” Perhaps it is the Actor, who died more than once on stage, who understands the horror of the situation more deeply than others, since it is he who will commit suicide at the end of the play.)

- What is the meaning of using the past tense in the characters’ self-characteristics?

(People feel like “former”: “Satin. I was an educated person” (the paradox is that the past tense is impossible in this case). “Bubnov. I was a furrier.” Bubnov pronounces a philosophical maxim: “It turns out that it’s like outside Don’t paint yourself, everything will be erased... everything will be erased, yes!”).

Which character is opposed to the others?

(Only one Kleshch has not yet come to terms with his fate. He separates himself from the rest of the night shelters: “What kind of people are they? A rag, a golden company... people! I am a working man... I’m ashamed to look at them... I’ve been working since I was little... Do you think I won’t break out of here? I’ll get out... I’ll rip off my skin, but I’ll get out... Just wait... my wife will die..." Kleshch's dream of another life is connected with the liberation that his wife's death will bring him. He does not feel the monstrosity of his statement. And the dream will turn out to be imaginary. )

Which scene sets up the conflict?

(The beginning of the conflict is the appearance of Luke. He immediately announces his views on life: “I don’t care! I respect swindlers too, in my opinion, not a single flea is bad: they’re all black, they all jump... that’s it.” And also: “For an old man, where it’s warm, there’s a homeland...” Luka finds himself in the center of attention of the guests: “What an interesting little old man you brought, Natasha...” - and the entire development of the plot is concentrated on him.)

How does Luke affect night shelters?

(Luka quickly finds an approach to the shelters: “I’ll look at you, brothers, - your life - oh!...” He feels sorry for Alyoshka: “Eh, guy, you’re confused...” He does not respond to rudeness, skillfully avoids questions that are unpleasant for him, is ready to sweep the floor instead of the rooming houses. Luka becomes necessary for Anna, takes pity on her: “Is it possible to abandon a person like that?” Luka skillfully flatters Medvedev, calling him “under,” and he immediately falls for this bait.)

What do we know about Luke?

(Luke says practically nothing about himself, we only learn: “They crushed a lot, that’s why he’s soft...”)

What does Luke say to each of the inhabitants of the shelter?

(In each of them, Luka sees a person, discovers their bright sides, the essence of personality, and this makes a revolution in the lives of the heroes. It turns out that the prostitute Nastya dreams of beautiful and bright love; the drunken Actor receives hope for a cure for alcoholism; the thief Vaska Pepel plans to leave to Siberia and start a new life there with Natalya, become a strong master. Luka gives Anna consolation: “Nothing, nothing else will be needed, and there is nothing to be afraid of! Silence, peace - lie to yourself! " Luka reveals the good in every person and inspires faith in the best.)

Did Luka lie to the night shelters?

(There may be different opinions on this matter. Luke selflessly tries to help people, instill in them faith in himself, awaken the best sides of nature. He sincerely wishes good, shows real ways to achieve a new, better life. After all, there really are hospitals for alcoholics, indeed Siberia - the golden side, and not just a place of exile and hard labor. As for the afterlife with which he attracts Anna, the question is more complicated; this is a question of faith and religious beliefs. What did he lie about? When Luka convinces Nastya that he believes in her feelings, in her love: “If you believe, you had true love... that means it was there! It was!” - he only helps her find the strength in herself for life, for real, not fictitious love.)

How do the inhabitants of the shelter react to Luke’s words?

(The lodgers are at first incredulous of his words: “Why are you lying?” Luka does not deny this; he answers the question with a question: “And... what do you really need... think about it! She really can , a blow for you...” Even to a direct question about God, Luke answers evasively: “If you believe, he is; if you don’t believe, no... What you believe in, that is...”)

What groups can the characters in the play be divided into?

"believers" "non-believers"

Anna believes in God. The tick no longer believes in anything.

Tatar - in Allah. Bubnov never believed anything.

Nastya - into fatal love.

Baron - into his past, perhaps invented.

What is the sacred meaning of the name “Luke”?

(The name “Luke” has a dual meaning: this name is reminiscent of the evangelist Luke, means “bright”, and at the same time is associated with the word “evil” (devil).)

(The author's position is expressed in the development of the plot. After Luka leaves, everything happens not at all as Luka convinced and as the heroes expected. Vaska Pepel really ends up in Siberia, but only to hard labor, for the murder of Kostylev, and not as a free settler. The actor who lost faith in oneself, in one's own strengths, exactly repeats the fate of the hero of Luke's parable about the righteous land. Luke, having told the parable about a man who, having lost faith in the existence of the righteous land, hanged himself, believes that a person should not be deprived of dreams, hopes, even imaginary ones. Gorky while showing the fate of the Actor, he assures the reader and viewer that it is false hope that can lead a person to suicide.)

Gorky himself wrote about his plan: “The main question that I wanted to pose is what is better, truth or compassion. What is more necessary? Is it necessary to take compassion to the point of using lies, like Luke? This is not a subjective question, but a general philosophical one.”

Gorky contrasts not truth and lies, but truth and compassion. How justified is this opposition?

(This faith did not have time to take hold in the minds of the night shelters; it turned out to be fragile and lifeless; with the disappearance of Luka, hope fades.)

What is the reason for the rapid decline of faith?

(Perhaps the point is in the weakness of the heroes themselves, in their inability and unwillingness to do at least something to implement new plans. Dissatisfaction with reality, a sharply negative attitude towards it, are combined with a complete unwillingness to do anything to change this reality.)

How does Luke explain the failures of life for the homeless shelters?

(Luke explains the failures in the lives of the night shelters by external circumstances, and does not at all blame the heroes themselves for their failed lives. That is why they were so drawn to him and were so disappointed, having lost external support with Luke’s departure.)

Luke is a living image precisely because he is contradictory and ambiguous.

1. Discussion of questions D.Z.

The philosophical question that Gorky himself posed: what is better – truth or compassion? The question of truth is multifaceted. Each person understands the truth in his own way, still keeping in mind some final, highest truth. Let's see how truth and lies relate in the drama “At the Bottom.”

What do the characters in the play mean by truth?

(This word has multiple meanings. See the dictionary.

Two levels of “truth” can be distinguished.

D.Z.

Prepare for an essay on the works of M. Gorky.

Initially, Maxim Gorky called the play “Without the Sun”, among the options were “Nochlezhka”, “The Bottom”, “At the Bottom of Life”, but he settled on the most suitable and meaningful title - “At the Bottom”. Indeed, it is not as transparent as “At the Bottom of Life,” because here not only the social status of the heroes is considered, but also their state of mind.

The play takes place in a rooming house, and its inhabitants are thieves, slackers, drunkards and even murderers, those whom society has long abandoned. None of them, except Kvashnya, the dumpling seller, had a job and did not want to do work. The baron used to serve somewhere, was an aristocrat, but he stole and ended up in prison. Satin, protecting his sister, killed her husband. Nastya is a great inventor, telling ridiculous stories about her lovers. The actor was kicked out of the theater for drunkenness.

Bubnov owned a dyeing workshop, but, fearing that he might kill his wife and her lover, he left, leaving them all his property. Locksmith Kleshch sits without work and blames his miserable situation on his wife, whom he himself brought to death with constant beatings and drunkenness. All these people once had something, but due to weakness or vices they could not keep it, and ended up at the “bottom”.

But, despite the poverty, cramped conditions and suffocating atmosphere of indifference to others, each of the shelters dreams of something. Nastya, reading romance novels, tremblingly awaits her prince, who will lead her to another, pure life. The actor once admits that it’s hard for him to do without a name, as if he doesn’t have one at all. He justifies his lifestyle by “illness”, alcohol poisoning, but continues to dream of the stage and only thinks about how he will find a hospital, but does not begin the search.

Kleshch is sure that his life is about to change for the better as soon as he is freed from his wife. But Anna was gone, and the desired freedom brought him nothing but disappointment. They all wanted to escape from this environment, and with the arrival of Luke they finally had hope. The old man made it clear to everyone that their fate was in their hands, they just had to try. Yes, the night shelters were inspired by the opportunity to start everything from scratch, but, apparently, their hearts, indifferent to their lives, became ballast, preventing them from rising from this “bottom.” It’s convenient for them to live like this, they got used to living almost without “oxygen”, they forgot what willpower is, so they were content with vague dreams and did nothing.

“Bottom” according to Gorky means not so much the social status, the place of residence of the heroes, but their way of life. All of them seem to be satisfied with the position of the lumpen, the miserable and impoverished life, spiritual emptiness and moral baseness. There is no sunlight visible at the bottom - there is only darkness, cold and loneliness. And this is the life of the characters in the play.

A. M. Gorky “At the Depth”
The meaning of the play
Gorky about the meaning of the play: “The main question that I wanted to pose is what is better - truth or compassion? What is more needed? Is it necessary to take compassion to the point of using lies like Luke? This is not a subjective question, but a general philosophical one.
The play is philosophical, but everything universal in it is inseparable from the deeply vital and specifically historical. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the social and everyday content of the play. The fact that the characters previously known from Gorky's stories, tramps, are given in a reduced level. Gorky saw and reflected in the play not the tragedy of the Russian people, but the tragedy of Russian life.
In the title, it was important for the author to highlight not the place of action, not the nature of the conditions, not even social status, but what the soul is filled with, what happens at the bottom of human life, at the bottom of the human soul.

Luke
Outwardly, Luka does not in any way affect the lives of the night shelters, but a serious conflict begins in their minds, so the subject of study in the play is the social conditions of reality and their reflection in the minds of people. In each of the heroes, Luke saw the bright sides of his personality; all his conversations were aimed at supporting the person, his faith in the best. Therefore, he only talks to those who live the truth of hope; he has nothing to talk about with non-believers. In an effort to understand human nature, Luke makes a number of wise observations. The essence of these observations is that a person is worthy of respect, love and pity. The origins of this attitude towards man lie in Luke’s conviction that man is initially good, and only the social disorder of life makes him bad and imperfect. That’s why the night shelters reached out to Luka, who is kind and sincere with us and selfless in his desire to help. He doesn't deceive anyone and doesn't lie to anyone about anything. Thus, Luke acts as an ideologist of passive consciousness, and in the dispute about truth that arises between him and Bubnov, the Baron, Luke affirms the charity of a comforting lie. The parable of the righteous land expresses the idea that a person cannot be deprived of hope, even if it is scanty.

The truth of Luke and the truth of Satin
Luke's sermon gave Satin the impetus for the emergence of a new position in life, which is also based on respect for man, but the emphasis is shifted towards the active participation of man in life. Satin's monologue is only the first step towards the formation of a person's active consciousness. Gorky’s attitude towards Luka is ambiguous; in the development of the plot one can feel the author’s reproach to Luka, because all illusions have been destroyed. On the other hand, the author blames not Luka for what happened to people, but the night shelters themselves, and thereby reveals one of the main features of the Russian national character. Dissatisfaction with life, a critical attitude towards it and the inability to change something.

His work tells us about the night shelter where the heroes of the work gathered and at first the author called his masterpiece “Nochlezhka”. But this name would take us only to a specific place, namely to the place of lodging that Kostylev owned and where the heroes of the play gathered. It was a basement with a heavy ceiling, where there were no normal chairs, and instead of beds there were bunks. A small square window only occasionally let in light. In a word, the name Nochlezhka could not fully convey the meaning of the play. But Gorky wanted the work to be broader and deeper. It revealed more of the essence. The author was thinking about giving another name to his play. For example, the title Without the Sun would have been profound, but it didn't quite fit the theme. Although the heroes had little joy and warmth in their lives, they could see the sunshine.

The meaning of the title of the play At the Bottom

What is the meaning of the title of the play At the Bottom?
When Gorky renamed his work, the meaning of the name began to play with different colors, and we will try to speculate a little about the meaning of the title of the play At the Lower Depths in ours.

Reading Gorky's work, we will get acquainted with the heroes of the shelter - embittered, weak-willed, sick people. From their stories and conversations, we conclude that they have already lost faith in life, have lost meaning and hope in it. These lost people no longer expect anything from life, and they don’t want to change anything in their existence. All this directly suggests that they are already at the very bottom of the social ladder. Heroes cannot live without drunkenness, scandals, and lies. They constantly scold, but still we see that people at the bottom are still capable of talking about truth and freedom. But each of them has its own truth. The title At the Bottom fully reveals the essence of the play. Thanks to the well-chosen name, the author showed that this is not only about a place to spend the night, which looks like a cave and seems as if you are at the very bottom. But I was also able to convey the atmosphere that hovered in this shelter. The moral and ethical ugliness of the people who gathered there. Subsequently, Gorky’s “at the bottom” became symbolic and revealed not only the essence of the play, but also the lifestyle of some people in our society.

Maxim Gorky's play "At the Lower Depths" is still the most successful drama in the collection of his works. She won the favor of the public during the author’s lifetime; the writer himself even described the performances in other books, ironizing about his fame. So why did this work captivate people so much?

The play was written at the end of 1901 - beginning of 1902. This work was not an obsession or a gust of inspiration, as is usually the case with creative people. On the contrary, it was written specifically for a troupe of actors from the Moscow Art Theater, created to enrich the culture of all classes of society. Gorky could not imagine what would come of it, but he realized the desired idea of ​​​​creating a play about tramps, where about two dozen characters would be present.

The fate of Gorky's play cannot be called the final and irrevocable triumph of his creative genius. There were different opinions. People were delighted or criticized such a controversial creation. It survived bans and censorship, and to this day everyone understands the meaning of the drama in their own way.

Meaning of the name

The meaning of the title of the play “At the Bottom” personifies the social position of all the characters in the work. The title gives an ambiguous first impression, since there is no specific mention of what day we are talking about. The author gives the reader the opportunity to use his imagination and guess what his work is about.

Today, many literary scholars agree that the author meant that his heroes are at the bottom of life in the social, financial and moral sense. This is the meaning of the name.

Genre, direction, composition

The play is written in a genre called “social and philosophical drama.” The author touches on precisely such topics and problems. His direction can be designated as “critical realism,” although some researchers insist on the formulation “socialist realism,” since the writer focused the public’s attention on social injustice and the eternal conflict between the poor and the rich. Thus, his work took on an ideological connotation, because at that time the confrontation between the nobility and the common people in Russia was only heating up.

The composition of the work is linear, since all actions are chronologically consistent and form a single thread of the narrative.

The essence of the work

The essence of Maxim Gorky's play lies in the depiction of the bottom and its inhabitants. Show readers in the play's characters the marginalized, people humiliated by life and fate, rejected by society and who have broken ties with it. Despite the smoldering flame of hope - having no future. They live, argue about love, honesty, truth, justice, but their words are just empty words for this world and even for their own destinies.

Everything that happens in the play has only one purpose: to show the clash of philosophical views and positions, as well as to illustrate the dramas of outcast people to whom no one lends a helping hand.

The main characters and their characteristics

The inhabitants of the bottom are people with different life principles and beliefs, but they are all united by one condition: they are mired in poverty, which gradually deprives them of dignity, hope and self-confidence. She corrupts them, dooming the victims to certain death.

1. Mite– works as a mechanic, 40 years old. Married to Anna (30 years old), who suffers from consumption. The relationship with his wife is the main characterizing detail. Kleshch's complete indifference to her well-being, frequent beatings and humiliation speak of his cruelty and callousness. After Anna's death, the man was forced to sell his work tools in order to bury her. And only the lack of work unsettled him a little. Fate leaves the hero without a chance to get out of the shelter and without prospects for a further successful life.
2. Bubnov- a 45-year-old man. Previously the owner of a fur workshop. He is dissatisfied with his current life, but tries to maintain his potential to return to normal society. Lost possession due to divorce, as the documents were issued in the name of his wife. Lives in a shelter and sews hats.
3. Satin- about 40 years old, drinks until he loses his memory and plays cards where he cheats for a living. I read a lot of books, which I constantly remind not so much of my neighbors as of myself as a consolation that all is not lost. Served 5 years in prison for manslaughter committed during a fight over his sister's honor. Despite his education and occasional fall, he does not recognize honest ways of living.
4. Luke- a wanderer aged 60 years. He appeared unexpectedly for the residents of the shelter. He behaves intelligently, consoles and calms everyone around, but as if he came with a specific purpose. He tries to improve relations with everyone by giving advice, which incites even more disputes. A hero of a neutral character, despite his kind tone, always makes one want to doubt the purity of his intentions. According to his stories, it can be assumed that he served time in prison, but escaped from there.
5. Ash– name is Vasily, 28 years old. He constantly steals, but, despite the dishonest way of earning money, he has his own philosophical point of view, like everyone else. He wants to get out of the shelter and start a new life. He was imprisoned several times. He has a certain position in this society due to his secret relationship with the married Vasilisa, which everyone knows about. At the beginning of the play, the heroes separate, and Ash tries to look after Natasha in order to take her away from the shelter, but in a fight he kills Kostylev and goes to prison at the end of the play.
6. Nastya– young girl, 24 years old. Based on her treatment and conversations, we can conclude that she works as a call girl. Constantly wants attention, to be needed. She has a connection with the Baron, but not the one she comes up with in her fantasies after reading romance novels. In fact, she endures rudeness and disrespect from her boyfriend, while giving him money for alcohol. All her behavior is continuous complaints about life and requests to be sorry.
7. Baron– 33 years old, drinks, but due to unfortunate circumstances. He constantly reminds of his noble roots, which once helped him become a wealthy official, but were not of particular significance when accused of embezzlement of public funds, which is why the hero went to prison, remaining a beggar. He has a love relationship with Nastya, but takes them for granted, transfers all his responsibilities to the girl, and constantly takes money for drinking.
8. Anna– Kleshch’s wife, 30 years old, suffers from consumption. At the beginning of the play he is in a dying state, but does not live to the end. For all the heroes, the flophouse is an unsuccessful piece of “interior”, making unnecessary sounds and taking up space. Until her death she hopes for a manifestation of her husband’s love, but dies in the corner from indifference, beatings and humiliation, which may have given rise to the disease.
9. Actor– male, approximately 40 years old. Just like all the residents of the shelter, he always remembers his past life. A kind and fair person, but excessively sorry for himself. He wants to stop drinking, having learned from Luke about a hospital for alcoholics in some city. He begins to save money, but, not having time to find out the location of the hospital before the wanderer leaves, the hero despairs and commits suicide.
10. Kostylev– Vasilisa’s husband, a 54-year-old shelter owner. He perceives people only as walking wallets, loves to remind people of debts and assert himself at the expense of the baseness of his own residents. Tries to hide his true attitude behind a mask of kindness. He suspects his wife of cheating with Ash, which is why he constantly listens to sounds outside his door. He believes that he should be grateful for the overnight stay. Vasilisa and her sister Natasha are treated no better than the drunkards who live at his expense. Buys things that Ash steals, but hides it. Due to his own stupidity, he dies at the hands of Ash in a fight.
11. Vasilisa Karpovna - Kostylev's wife, 26 years old. She is no different from her husband, but she hates him with all her heart. She secretly cheats on her husband with Ash and persuades her lover to kill her husband, promising that he will not be sent to prison. And he doesn’t feel any feelings towards his sister except envy and malice, which is why she gets the worst of it. Looks for benefit in everything.
12. Natasha– Vasilisa’s sister, 20 years old. The “purest” soul of the shelter. Endures bullying from Vasilisa and her husband. She cannot trust Ash with his desire to take her away, knowing all the meanness of people. Although she herself understands that she will be lost. Helps residents selflessly. He is going to meet Vaska halfway to leave, but he ends up in the hospital after Kostylev’s death and goes missing.
13. Kvashnya– a 40-year-old dumpling seller who experienced the power of her husband, who beat her during 8 years of marriage. Helps the residents of the shelter, sometimes trying to put the house in order. She argues with everyone and is not going to get married anymore, remembering her late tyrant husband. Over the course of the play, their relationship with Medvedev develops. At the very end, Kvashnya marries a policeman, whom she herself begins to beat due to her addiction to alcohol.
14. Medvedev- uncle of sisters Vasilisa and Natasha, policeman, 50 years old. Throughout the entire play, she tries to woo Kvashnya, promising that she will not be like her ex-husband. She knows that her niece is being beaten by her older sister, but does not intervene. Knows about all the machinations of Kostylev, Vasilisa and Ash. At the end of the play, he marries Kvashnya and begins to drink, for which his wife beats him.
15. Alyoshka- shoemaker, 20 years old, drinks. He says that he doesn’t need anything, that he is disappointed in life. He drinks out of despair and plays the harmonica. Due to riotous behavior and drunkenness, he often ends up in the police station.
16. Tatar- also lives in a shelter, works as a housekeeper. He loves to play cards with Satin and Baron, but is always indignant at their dishonest play. An honest person does not understand swindlers. Constantly talks about laws and honors them. At the end of the play, Crooked Craw hits him and breaks his arm.
17. Crooked Goiter- another little-known inhabitant of the shelter, the housekeeper. Not as honest as Tatar. He also likes to pass the time playing cards, is calm about the cheating of Satin and Baron, and finds excuses for them. He beats Tatarin and breaks his arm, which causes him to have a conflict with policeman Medvedev. At the end of the play he sings a song with the others.

Themes

Despite the seemingly fairly simple plot and the absence of sharp climactic turns, the work is replete with themes that provide food for thought.

1. Theme of hope stretches through the entire play until the very denouement. She hovers in the mood of the work, but not once does anyone mention her intention to get out of the shelter. Hope is present in every dialogue of the inhabitants, but only indirectly. Just as each of them once fell to the bottom, so someday they dream of getting out of there. In everyone there glimmers a small opportunity to return again to a past life, where everyone was happy, although they did not appreciate it.
2. Fate theme is also quite important in the play. It defines the role of evil fate and its meaning for the heroes. Fate can be the driving force in a work that could not be changed, that brought all the inhabitants together. Or that circumstance, always subject to change, which had to be overcome in order to be able to achieve great success. From the lives of the inhabitants, one can understand that they have accepted their fate and are trying to change it only in the opposite direction, believing that they have nowhere to fall lower. If one of the residents tries to make an attempt to change their position and get out of the bottom, they collapse. Perhaps the author wanted to show in this way that they deserved such a fate.
3. Theme of the meaning of life looks quite superficial in the play, but if you think about it, you can understand the reason for such an attitude towards the life of the shack’s heroes. Everyone considers the current state of affairs to be the bottom from which there is no way out: neither down, nor, especially, up. The characters, despite different age categories, are disappointed in life. They lost interest in her, and stopped seeing any meaning in their own existence, let alone sympathy for each other. They do not strive for another fate because they cannot imagine it. Only alcohol sometimes adds color to existence, which is why sleepovers love to drink.
4. Theme of truth and lies in the play is the main idea of ​​the author. This topic is a philosophical question in Gorky’s work, which he reflects on through the lips of the characters. If we talk about truth in dialogues, then its boundaries are erased, because sometimes the characters say absurd things. However, their words contain secrets and mysteries that are revealed to us as the plot of the work progresses. The author raises this topic in the play, as he considers the truth as a way to save the inhabitants. Show the heroes the real state of affairs, opening their eyes to the world and to their own lives, which they lose every day in the hut? Or hide the truth under the guise of lies and pretense, because it’s easier for them? Everyone chooses the answer independently, but the author makes it clear that he likes the first option.
5. Theme of love and feelings touches in the work because it makes it possible to understand the relationships between the inhabitants. There is absolutely no love in a shelter, even between spouses, and it is unlikely to have the opportunity to appear there. The place itself seems to be saturated with hatred. All were united only by a common living space and a sense of injustice of fate. There is indifference in the air, both towards healthy and sick people. Only squabbles, like dogs squabbling, amuse the night shelters. Along with interest in life, the colors of emotions and feelings are lost.

Problems

The play has a rich range of issues. Maxim Gorky tried in one work to indicate the moral problems that were relevant at that time, which, however, still exist to this day.

1. The first problem is conflict between the inhabitants of the shelter, not only with each other, but also with life. From the dialogues between the characters you can understand their relationship. Constant quarrels, differences of opinion, basic debts lead to eternal squabbles, which is a mistake in this case. The homeless shelters need to learn to live under one roof in harmony. Mutual assistance will make life easier and change the general atmosphere. The problem of social conflict is the destruction of any society. The poor are united by a common problem, but instead of solving it, they create new ones through common efforts. The conflict with life lies in the lack of an adequate perception of it. Former people are offended by life, which is why they do not take further steps towards creating a different future and simply go with the flow.
2. Another problem can be identified as a pressing question: “ Truth or Compassion?. The author creates a reason for reflection: to show the heroes the realities of life or to sympathize with such a fate? In the drama, someone suffers from physical or psychological abuse, and someone dies in agony, but receives his share of compassion, and this reduces his suffering. Each person has his own view of the current situation, and we react based on our feelings. The writer, in Satin’s monologue and the disappearance of the wanderer, made it clear whose side he was on. Luka acts as Gorky's antagonist, trying to bring the inhabitants back to life, show the truth and console the suffering.
3. Also raised in the play problem of humanism. More precisely, its absence. Returning again to the relationship between the inhabitants, and their relationship to themselves, we can consider this problem from two positions. The lack of humanity on the part of the heroes towards each other can be seen in the situation with the dying Anna, to which no one pays attention. During Vasilisa’s bullying of her sister Natasha and Nastya’s humiliation. An opinion is emerging that if people are at the bottom, then they don’t need any more help, it’s every man for himself. This cruelty to themselves is determined by their current lifestyle - constant drinking, fights, which carry disappointment and loss of meaning in life. Existence ceases to be the highest value when there is no goal towards it.
4. The problem of immorality rises in connection with the lifestyle that residents lead based on social location. Nastya's work as a call girl, playing cards for money, drinking alcohol with the ensuing consequences in the form of fights and being taken to the police, theft - all these are the consequences of poverty. The author shows this behavior as a typical phenomenon for people who find themselves at the bottom of society.

The meaning of the play

The idea of ​​Gorky's play is that all people are absolutely the same, regardless of their social and financial status. Everyone consists of flesh and blood, the differences lie only in upbringing and character, which give us the opportunity to react differently to current situations and act based on them. No matter who you are, life can change in an instant. Any of us, having lost everything we had in the past, having sunk to the bottom, will lose ourselves. There will no longer be any point in keeping oneself within the bounds of social decency, looking appropriate and behaving accordingly. When a person loses the values ​​​​established by others, he becomes confused and falls out of reality, as happened with the heroes.

The main idea is that life can break any person. Make him indifferent, bitter, having lost any incentive to exist. Of course, an indifferent society will be to blame for many of his troubles, which will only push the falling one. However, the broken poor are often themselves to blame for the fact that they cannot rise up, because it is difficult to find someone to blame for their laziness, depravity and indifference to everything.

Gorky's author's position is expressed in Satin's monologue, which scatters into aphorisms. “Man – sounds proud!” - he exclaims. The writer wants to show how to treat people in order to appeal to their dignity and strength. Endless regret without concrete practical steps will only harm the poor man, because he will continue to feel sorry for himself rather than work to get out of the vicious circle of poverty. This is the philosophical meaning of drama. In the debate about true and false humanism in society, the winner is the one who speaks directly and honestly, even at the risk of incurring indignation. Gorky in one of Satin’s monologues connects truth and lies with human freedom. Independence comes only at the cost of comprehension and search for truth.

Conclusion

Each reader will draw his own conclusion. The play “At the Bottom” can help a person understand that in life it is always worth striving for something, because it gives strength to move on without looking back. Don't stop thinking that nothing will work out.

Using the example of all the heroes, one can see absolute inaction and disinterest in their own fate. Regardless of age and gender, they are simply mired in their current situation, making the excuse that it is too late to resist and start all over again. A person himself must have the desire to change his future, and in case of any failure, do not blame life, do not be offended by it, but gain experience by experiencing the problem. The inhabitants of the shelter believe that suddenly, for their suffering in the basement, a miracle should fall on them that will bring them a new life, as it happens - Luka appears to them, wanting to cheer up all the despairing, help with advice to make life better. But they forgot that words cannot help the fallen man; he extended his hand to them, but no one took it. And everyone is just waiting for action from anyone, but not from themselves.

Criticism

It cannot be said that before the birth of his legendary play, Gorky did not have any popularity in society. But, it can be emphasized that interest in him increased precisely because of this work.

Gorky managed to show everyday, everyday things surrounding dirty, uneducated people from a new angle. He knew what he was writing about, since he himself had experience in achieving his position in society; after all, he was from the common people and an orphan. There is no exact explanation why the works of Maxim Gorky were so popular and made such a strong impression on the public, because he was not an innovator of any genre, writing about all known things. But Gorky’s work was fashionable at that time, society liked to read his works and attend theatrical performances based on his creations. It can be assumed that the degree of social tension in Russia was rising, and many were dissatisfied with the established order in the country. The monarchy had exhausted itself, and popular actions in subsequent years were harshly suppressed, and therefore many people gladly looked for disadvantages in the existing system, as if reinforcing their own conclusions.

The peculiarities of the play lie in the way of presentation and presentation of the characters' characters, in the harmonious use of descriptions. One of the problems raised in the work is the individuality of each hero and his struggle for it. Artistic tropes and stylistic figures very accurately depict the living conditions of the characters, because the author saw all these details personally.

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Initially, Maxim Gorky called the play “Without the Sun”, among the options were “Nochlezhka”, “The Bottom”, “At the Bottom of Life”, but he settled on the most suitable and meaningful title - “At the Bottom”. Indeed, it is not as transparent as “At the Bottom of Life,” because here not only the social status of the heroes is considered, but also their state of mind.

The play takes place in a rooming house, and its inhabitants are thieves, slackers, drunkards and even murderers, those whom society has long abandoned. None of them, except Kvashnya, the dumpling seller, had a job and did not want to do work. The baron used to serve somewhere, was an aristocrat, but he stole and ended up in prison. Satin, protecting his sister, killed her husband. Nastya is a great inventor, telling ridiculous stories about her lovers. The actor was kicked out of the theater for drunkenness.

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Bubnov owned a dyeing workshop, but, fearing that he might kill his wife and her lover, he left, leaving them all his property. Locksmith Kleshch sits without work and blames his miserable situation on his wife, whom he himself brought to death with constant beatings and drunkenness. All these people once had something, but due to weakness or vices they could not keep it, and ended up at the “bottom”.

But, despite the poverty, cramped conditions and suffocating atmosphere of indifference to others, each of the shelters dreams of something. Nastya, reading romance novels, tremblingly awaits her prince, who will lead her to another, pure life. The actor once admits that it’s hard for him to do without a name, as if he doesn’t have one at all. He justifies his lifestyle by “illness”, alcohol poisoning, but continues to dream of the stage and only thinks about how he will find a hospital, but does not begin the search. Kleshch is sure that his life is about to change for the better as soon as he is freed from his wife. But Anna was gone, and the desired freedom brought him nothing but disappointment. They all wanted to escape from this environment, and with the arrival of Luke they finally had hope. The old man made it clear to everyone that their fate was in their hands, they just had to try. Yes, the night shelters were inspired by the opportunity to start everything from scratch, but, apparently, their hearts, indifferent to their lives, became ballast, preventing them from rising from this “bottom.” It’s convenient for them to live like this, they got used to living almost without “oxygen”, they forgot what willpower is, so they were content with vague dreams and did nothing.

“Bottom” according to Gorky means not so much the social status, the place of residence of the heroes, but their way of life. All of them seem to be satisfied with the position of the lumpen, the miserable and impoverished life, spiritual emptiness and moral baseness. There is no sunlight visible at the bottom - there is only darkness, cold and loneliness. And this is the life of the characters in the play.

Updated: 2018-01-10

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